Symphony Holiday Party Hits a High Note at BeDesign

Daniel Ortiz
Symphony Holiday Party Hits a High Note at BeDesign

Courtney Thiel and Lanie Markham

THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY toasted a successful first half of its historic season at a holiday bash hosted by Adrian Duenas and Marcelo Saenz at their Montrose furniture showroom BeDesign.


More than 150 members and guests of the Houston Symphony’s Young Associates Council joined chairs Carrie Brandsberg-Dahl, Laurel Flores, Kirby Lodholz and Shane Miller for the event, which featured a brass quintet playing Christmas tunes — and an appearance by the big man himself! Santa showed up with sweet treats toward the end of the evening.

Among the merry musical supporters: Beth Wolff, Debbie Festari, Nina Magon, Chris Goins, Amber Elliott and Carey Kirkpatrick.

Anna Kaplan and Carey Kirkpatrick

Cristina Romeu and Claudio Gutierrez

Eric Brueggeman and Lanie Markham

Marcelo Saenz and Adrian Duenas

Mandy Graessle and Joel Luks

Stephanie Weber and Paul Muri

Mariana and James O. Huff, III

Kirby and David Lodholz

Andrew and Liana Schwaitzberg

Parties

Denise Reyes and Matthew Healey (photo by Katy Anderson)

THE OPERA BALL, one of Houston’s perennially elegant, must-hit galas among the society set’s top tier, tilted marvelously mod and disco-deluxe this year, with sophisticated Spanish hints, thanks no doubt to ball chairs Isabel and Ignacio “Nacho” Torras. They are, of course, the arts patrons behind two of Houston’s most popular and trendy restaurants — MAD and BCN Taste & Tradition.

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Parties

Smoked Salmon Cheesecake with Emeril’s Reserve Caviar

THE POP-UP CULINARY trend — when great chefs from elsewhere take over a local restaurant for a night or two — continues to be a hot in Houston. But as the novelty of the concept fades to been-there-done-that, pop-up purveyors must be increasingly clever to attract savvy foodies.

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Food